What does the term “Pro-Life” mean?
In its originality, the term Pro-Life means the belief in the right to life. However, because of the current political debate, a new meaning of the term has been coined. Pro-Life means the belief that pregnant women should not have the option to have an abortion if she does not or cannot have the baby. So if someone is valuing the life of the unborn fetus over the health of the living mother, is that really pro-life?
Who is Amy Coney Barrett?
Born in January 1972, Amy Coney Barrett was nominated as the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by President Donald Trump, on September 26, 2020; Just 8 days after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You may wonder why Amy Coney Barrett? President Donald Trump believes that she will be a strong ally in dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires most healthcare plans to cover contraception with no out-of-pocket cost.
So why is that such a big deal?
The Problem Behind Defunding the ACA
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been revolutionary in terms of the quality of care. The ACA has reduced the number of uninsured people to historically low levels and helped more people access health care services, especially low-income people and people of color.
Considering the current situation we are in, it is more important than ever for women to have the full extent of the ACA. Due to the innumerable uncertainties on how COVID-19 affects pregnant women, many individuals may want to delay pregnancy. The ACA requires most plans to cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs. As a result, women save more than $1.4 billion a year in out-of-pocket costs on birth control pills. According to data from the National Women’s Law Center, 61.4 million women currently have access to birth control as well as other preventive services, such as well-woman visits, with no out-of-pocket costs.
Without requirements for these services to be covered, women would be forced to pay out of pocket or give up care if they could not afford to. Illustratively, without insurance coverage, birth control pills could cost a woman up to $600 per year, and an intrauterine device could cost about $1,000 out of pocket.
With all of this information in front of us, the question presents itself; Is taking away access to health-care and contraceptives really pro-life?
Read more: https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/
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